Drumquestra and more for Reggae /Black History Month

The Jamaica Music Museum will be hosting its 4th Annual Grounation Series for Reggae/ Black History Month - February 2015. Grounation will explore how the role of the drums at the foundation of African Culture has conveyed philosophical and social ideas leading to the shaping of new cultures, values and aesthetics of the diaspora and peoples of the New World.

This year's presenters will include Maxine Gordon, Dr. Christopher Johnson, Dr. Kenneth Bilby and Dr. Matthew Smith . Performers will include Jamaican Master Percussionist Larry McDonald and Drumquestra, Phillip Supersad and Ozone. 

Brands News: Voice Mail skate on the "Fire Blade"

Jamaican pop-dancehall duo Voice Mail have officially been signed as Fire Blade Energy Drink Brand Ambassadors and will be representing the new beverage in Jamaica and overseas.

Fire Blade Energy Drink is fairly new on the local market but has already gotten great taste test reviews and general feedback since hitting the shelves earlier this year. The Austrian made product is marketed in Jamaica by Indies Pharma Jamaica and distributed by World Brand Services, a subsidiary of the Grace Kennedy Group of companies

As the Energy Drink’s Brand Ambassadors, Kevin and Craig will be involved in the company’s advertising campaign to be launched in a matter of days as well as making numerous public and performance appearances in Jamaica, the Caribbean and The United States.

The Duo sees this as proof that their effort and input in the Jamaican music industry has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated.

Voicemail has 'upped the ante' this Summer with numerous releases including ‘Gyal Instruction' featuring Skinny Fabulous on the Guacamole & Chips riddim and ‘Fat Pocket’ on the Goosebumps riddim, the Video for the latter has already hit number 1 on Hit List’s local top 10 video chart.

‘Fire Blade is a high energy product and Voicemail has the high energy image, it’s natural that the brands would be a great fit’ Craig mentioned when asked about the synergy. ‘We are grateful for the opportunity to work with a fresh new high energy brand because Voicemail is constantly evolving and we are a constant voice in the local industry.

Movie Review

This Is NOT A Dancehall Movie

One of the interesting and thought provoking entrants to this year's Reggae Film Festival set for August 1-5 at the Island Village in Ocho Rios, Jamaica is LOSING PARADISE & MUSIC, documentary film directed and produced by the multi-talented Jamaican-born singer, stage and screen actress, Claudja Barry.

Barry, who is greatly anticipation the showing of her documentary at the festival, says she'll also looking forward to joining the likes of leading female dub poetess, Cherry Natural and Reggae/Dancehall aficionado, Dr. Carolyn Cooper, in panel discussion of her creation, "Losing Paradise & Music".

According to Barry, "Losing Paradise & Music documents the negative impact Reggae/Dancehall music is having on society. However, Barry is of the view the language of Dancehall and the attitude of its performers send a negative voice to Jamaican youth and to the rest of the world.

Many of the persons appearing in the documentary echo a similar sentiment, and do feel Jamaica has become a culture of violence and that sending this message through its music, doesn’t help.

Barry, who is greatly anticipation the showing of her documentary at the festival, says she'll also looking forward to joining the likes of leading female dub poetess, Cherry Natural and Reggae/Dancehall aficionado, Dr. Carolyn Cooper, in panel discussion of her creation, "Losing Paradise & Music".

According to Barry, "Losing Paradise & Music documents the negative impact Reggae/Dancehall music is having on society. However, Barry is of the view the language of Dancehall and the attitude of its performers send a negative voice to Jamaican youth and to the rest of the world.

Many of the persons appearing in the documentary echo a similar sentiment, and do feel Jamaica has become a culture of violence and that sending this message through its music, doesn’t help.

Barry, who set out to hear the views of a wide group of Jamaicans on why Dancehall music has taken on such a dark image, admitted the documentary was a result of a personal quest to know if there were any redeeming qualities about Dancehall, which has taken on some sort of mystic persona by become the dominant sound emanating out of bowels of the Jamaica people over the past 20 odd years.

"I wanted to find out if Bob Marley's message of love, respect and caring were prominent in the music of today, which is dancehall, and if the current artistes are holding up the standards set by Marley and those of his era," says Barry, who interviewed psychologists, family life specialists, doctors and musicians for the project.

Losing Paradise & Music, which curiously zoomed in on dancehall's dark side, debuted on OMNI 1 TV in Canada earlier this year (February 17). And having chosen to look on the darker side of the music, one can't help but wanting to know whether Barry was about censorship.

"As an artiste, I don't believe in censoring others' creative output, but where I draw the line is when society fails to realize that without exposure to other forms of music, some people limit themselves emotionally, which will limit how the whole person develops," says Barry, a Jamaica who grew up in Canada.

According to Barry, she understands there are a generation of listeners who have heard only dancehall reggae and obviously enjoy that form of music.

I'm in no way trying to change anyone's preference, but, there should be music appreciation in schools, so that from an early age all children would have knowledge of all types of music," says Barry, who studied acting at the world-famous Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York City, then studied voice in Berlin and Vienna. She has also recorded several albums and appeared in the 1985 movie, Rappin', and was inducted into the Canadian Black Music Hall of Fame in 2003.

WHEN IS A TRIBUTE NOT A TRIBUTE….?

It all sounded so great at first and one could almost imagine oneself as a fly on the wall when the Bob Marley Tribute at the 2013 Grammy Awards was being posited and discussed. After all, the first and last (?) Marley sons respectively Ziggy and Damian along with Sting, Bruno Mars and – to top it all off (pardon the pun, if you saw her performance)  - reigning West Indian pop queen Rihanna. Other than reincarnating the Gong himself, what could be better?

But, with the benefit of several viewings of the vaunted telecast, one of several that increasingly give a sense of heft to an otherwise breathy and even featherweight  Grammy programme, a different sentiment begins to bubble up, if you will.

A number of things were re-confirmed for me in watching the Tribute, and in perfect timing so as to follow-up my last column on the roots reggae revival currently being touted on Jamaican shores (as an aside by the time you read this, both Protoje and Freddie McGregor will have hosted listening parties for new CDs in Kingston). Firstly, US audiences, whether white black or in between (but largely white) still love reggae music, and still associate it primarily with Bob Marley and his various progeny.

Take a look at the vibe inside the Grammy Hall on the appearance of first Ziggy then Damian on Sunday night – the audience was clearly electrified in a way that is not evident in any of the other artistes, not even Rihanna, who mauled the opening lines of “Could You Be Loved” . Seeing that, I’m reminded that though literal xhart success escaped him in his lifetime, Bo Marley built a global following almost solely on the appeal of the message and the music. Granted, times were different, but the overall principle remains the same: a connection was made in the 70s and that connection remains largely intact.

Which brings up the next point – the record industry, despite the verbiage about the Internet, iTunes, YouTube and other non-physical phenomena, remains very much a physical commodity, a commodity whose distribution is still controlled by a power structure, ie, the record companies. Just as the studio system still has its hand firmly on the release volume of major league films into American cinemas, the “record-breakers” the Clive Davises and Lyor Cohens of this world, still have their reactionary hands on the emergence of bona fide stars in the US market, whatever form that market takes.

The final point, and I’m open to anyone challenging me on this is this: whilst the individuals named, and others may not be racist in their own views and dealings, the power structure which birthed and nurtured them and which they naturally uphold, has NO room for another Jamaican music superstar on the order of a Bob Marley – especially if said superstar is black – in that US market. Yes, ther will be occasional big sellers and yes, black Jamaican artistes will have the opportunity to tour the US (the current visa scandal nothwithstanding, but that’s another column) and even to do the late night talk show circuit, as Beres Hammond recently did.

But, looking at Bruno Mars carry what was meant to be a tribute to the Jamaican King of Reggae, with his actual scions made subservient to a relative (if moderately talented) upstart, one really has to decipher the code and this – the next pop mega star may be black (we already had MJ and Prince) or just maybe he/she might be Caribbean (we’ll allow Rihanna for now – she’s malleable) but make no mistake: he will NOT be both.

Let’s see what happens next year.